Figure 1 Many teams change their head coach at the end of the season, especially in the NFL – Source: Pixabay
The end of the regular season is always a time of upheaval in the NFL. Quite often, there is a flurry of firings, as teams decide that the failures of the campaign just gone warrant a rethink. Most times, this means that the head coach is shown the door, creating high levels of anticipation and rumors about who will then be appointed.
With Mike Tomlin deciding to end his 19-year reign at Pittsburgh and Sean McDermott being fired by the Bills, the 2025 season now holds the record for most head coach departures. Anyone wishing to be successful at NFL online betting will want to know what will happen next at these teams – and whether a new man in charge can change the fortunes of those involved.
With so many teams in search of a new head coach, there is a distinct possibility that the league will look very different when the 2026 regular season begins. In this article, we will look at what that might mean for the teams, leagues, and head coaches hoping for a positive move this year.
Shining Example
It is very rare for the words “shining example” to be used in relation to the New York Giants. Although the Jets are usually considered to be in even worse strife than the Giants – and the latter has, at least, conjured up a surprise championship in recent memory – this organization has not always been heralded as one of the best in the league.
But by appointing John Harbaugh as the new head coach before the playoffs had even really gotten going, the Giants have entered new territory. Harbaugh will have more time than any other new head coach to implement his ideas, and the Giants can (for the moment) be considered as a team that could do well in 2026.
The Next Step
Sometimes, a departing head coach means more than just a slight rethink of how the team will play. There had been intense speculation about the future of Mike Tomlin, even before the Steelers failed to get past the first round of the playoffs for the seventh time running. His decision to leave sets him apart from the other head coaches exiting their positions this year. But it does pose a problem for Pittsburgh.
When a coach is in charge of a team for such a long time, it can sometimes be very difficult for everyone to suddenly get on board with a completely new way of thinking. Whoever comes in at the Steelers will need to stamp his authority and vision on the team immediately – and winning his first few games would be ideal too.
New Look AFC North
The Steelers division will have a distinctly different look to it next season, of course. Tomlin vacating his head coach position after that loss to the Texans came soon after the dismissal of John Harbaugh at the Ravens. A former Super Bowl winner, Harbaugh was shown the door after a woefully bad beginning to the season made the make or break game against, ironically, the Steelers in week 18 a direct comment on his future suitability.
Those two firings came after another AFC North team had already given its head coach his walking papers. Two-time coach of the year, Kevin Stefanski, was let go after a 5-12 season which saw Cleveland finish bottom of the division. Stefanski had actually returned postseason action to the Browns, but quarterback turmoil plagued much of his time there – something he may well be looking forward to not having to deal with anymore.
Draft Position
One positive for many of the new head coaches coming in for the 2026 season is that they will get to choose some of the best athletes turning pro this year. It makes sense that most teams that fire their head coach do so because of a lack of wins – and, in the NFL, that means a high draft position the following year.
Five of the six teams at the top of the 2026 NFL Draft will be under new stewardship this year, and that might be the opportunity for the new head coaches to really shape the future of their teams. A lot depends on whether the new players available are what those teams need, however. So don’t expect the draft to instantly solve a new head coach’s problems.
Change of Direction
The most exciting factor for any team looking forward to a new head coach is that it is a chance to forget the recent past and forge a new direction. Many head coaches also bring along new offensive or defensive coordinators, creating the potential for a completely new style of playing the game.
For most of the teams involved, the most important new style of playing would be simply winning games. But, even in the case of the Steelers – who made it to the playoffs this year – there is a good possibility that the new head coach will have a different way of playing than Mike Tomlin. A change of direction is always a good thing for poorly performing teams, and a new man at the top can decide what happens from now on.
No Guarantee of Success
Gone are the days of NFL teams keeping the same head coach for decades. Mike Tomlin was something of an exception in a league that increasingly demands short-term success at the expense of long-term development. Kansas City’s Andy Reid is now the longest-tenured head coach in the NFL at 12 years, with only two others having held their positions for more than six.
Firing and hiring are no guarantee of success, and there are plenty of teams, some from this year’s crop, that have continued to re-recruit without any success. Many of this year’s group have struggled for a while now, so a new head coach may not be able to instantly turn things around. Firing a head coach is usually the easy part – hiring someone who brings success back is the hard part.
