We’re officially into October, which for the NFL world means that it’s probably not too early for a head coaching firing.
The first firing of the 2024 NFL regular season came in early October, when the New York Jets fired head coach Robert Saleh on Oct. 8. Saleh is now a defensive coach for the San Francisco 49ers. He was followed by the firing of New Orleans Saints head coach Dennis Allen, who was let go on Nov. 5, after the team’s seventh straight loss.
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Could we have an early-season firing in 2025? It’s possible, with two head coaches appearing to be right on the hot seat.
CINCINNATI – SEPTEMBER 26: General view of Paul Brown Stadium during the game between the Baltimore Ravens and the Cincinnati Bengals on September 26, 2004 in Cincinnati, Ohio. The Ravens defeated the Bengals 23-9. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
There have been several disappointing teams so far this season, but two NFL head coaches stand out in the “hot seat” department.
If someone is going to be fired early on in the 2025 regular season, it’s probably going to be one of these guys.
Bengals head coach Zac Taylor
The Bengals are 2-2 on the year, but they’ve been blown out in back-to-back weeks without quarterback Joe Burrow. Now, most teams would struggle without their star quarterback, but the Bengals have looked so bad, that some fans are calling for Taylor’s firing.
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Taylor, a former Nebraska quarterback, has been Cincinnati’s head coach since 2019.
“It’s time for the Bengals to move on from Zac Taylor. No team has generated fewer big plays than the Bengals since 2022,” NFL writer Marcus Mosher shared on X.
“Zac Taylor Should be judged by one thing that truly matters: Did you win or did you lose ? Nothing else matters respectfully,” one fan added.
“I’ll repeat this the Athletic two weeks ago surveyed 30 NFL executives/GMs and asked who were the best play callers in Football. Zac Taylor received NO VOTES. (Zero),” one fan added.
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“Zac Taylor is a good human nobody can deny that, but he got bailed out by a generational QB. And when Burrow is out the flaws are obvious, we can’t compete. You can’t even survive a half without him, Burrow turns 29 in December, it’s now or LITERALLY NEVER. Change is necessary,” one fan added.
Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel
The Dolphins, 1-3 on the season, have looked like one of the worst teams in the NFL for the first month. They finally got a win last week, taking down the Jets, but is McDaniel’s future in Miami secure?
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It doesn’t sound like it.
“Mike McDaniel is putting out some solid OC tape now for when hes inevitably fired,” one fan joked.
“Raise your hand if you got better job security than Mike McDaniel 🖐️,” one fan added.
ESPN NFL analyst Dan Orlovsky, meanwhile, is standing by McDaniel, despite the tough start to 2025.
Will we see any NFL franchises making an early-season firing in 2025?
This story was originally reported by The Spun on Oct 3, 2025, where it first appeared in the NFL section. Add The Spun as a Preferred Source by clicking here.