The NFL regular season has ended.
For some teams, the search for a new head coach has begun.
The Las Vegas Raiders fired Pete Carroll on Monday morning after a 3-14 season. The Atlanta Falcons fired coach Raheem Morris, as well as general manager Terry Fontenot, on Sunday night after a second straight 8-9 finish. The Cleveland Browns fired coach Kevin Stefanski after six seasons, the team announced Monday morning following a 5-11 finish this season.
Two other teams parted ways with their head coaches during the season. The Tennessee Titans fired Brian Callahan in October after a 1-5 start to the season. The New York Giants fired Brian Daboll in November after a 2-8 start.
With NFL’s Black Monday already in full swing, other teams are likely to make similar moves. Here’s a look at everything that has happened so far. This list will continue to be updated as more changes occur.
Las Vegas Raiders
Former USC coach Pete Carroll, 74, ended his short tenure with the Raiders with a victory against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday. But it didn’t make up for what had been a rough season that contained at least two goose eggs on the scoreboard.
So, Monday’s announcement was not completely unexpected.
“The Las Vegas Raiders have relieved Pete Carroll of his duties as head coach,” team owner Mark Davis said in a statement released by the team. “We appreciate and wish him and his family all the best.
“Moving forward, General Manager John Spytek will lead all football operations in close collaboration with Tom Brady, including the search for the club’s next head coach. Together, they will guide football decisions with a shared focus on leadership, culture, and alignment with the organization’s long-term vision and goals.”
Atlanta Falcons
The Falcons were eliminated from playoff contention after a 37-9 loss to the Seattle Seahawks on Dec. 9. Atlanta went on to win its final four games to finish in a three-way tie with the Carolina Panthers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers for first place in the NFC South (the Panthers won the division based on head-to-head win percentage).
It wasn’t enough to save Morris, who went 16-18 in two seasons with the Falcons. Fontenot had served as the team’s general manager since January 2021. Atlanta hasn’t had a winning season since 2017.
“I have great personal affinity for both Raheem and Terry and appreciate their hard work and dedication to the Falcons, but I believe we need new leadership in these roles moving forward,” Falcons owner Arthur Blank said in a statement.
“The decision to move away from people who represent the organization so well and have a shared commitment to the values that are important to the organization is not an easy one, but the results on the field have not met our expectations or those of our fans and leadership. I wish Raheem and Terry the absolute best in their future pursuits.”
Cleveland Browns
Stefanski was named the Associated Press coach of the year in 2020 and 2023, led the Browns into the playoffs in both of those seasons and coached them to a wildcard-round win in 2020. He also had four losing seasons with the team, including this year’s 5-11 campaign, and leaves with a 46-58 overall record.
“We have tremendous gratitude for Kevin’s leadership of the Cleveland Browns over the last six seasons,” Browns owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam said Monday in a statement. “He is a good football coach and an even better person. We appreciate all his hard work and dedication to our organization but our results over the last two seasons have not been satisfactory, and we believe a change at the head coaching position is necessary.”
Stefanski said in a statement released by the Browns: “After six seasons as the head coach of the Cleveland Browns, I leave with an immense sense of gratitude. When I arrived in January of 2020, this organization, this community and Browns fans embraced me and my family with open arms. I cannot express properly in words how good we have been treated. A sincere ‘Thank You’ to everyone who I have been so blessed to work for and with over these six seasons. … I wish all of you nothing but success.”
The Browns said they will retain general manager Andrew Berry.
New York Giants
Daboll had a 20-40-1 record during his three-plus seasons with the Giants. The team went 2-5 under interim coach Mike Kafka, who was promoted from offensive coordinator. The new coach will inherit quarterback Jaxson Dart, whom the Giants selected with the No. 25 overall pick in the 2025 draft.
“The past few seasons have been nothing short of disappointing, and we have not met our expectations for this franchise,” Giants president John Mara and chairman Steve Tisch said in a joint statement Nov. 10. “We understand the frustrations of our fans, and we will work to deliver a significantly improved product.
“We appreciate Coach Daboll for his contributions to our organization. We wish the Daboll family all the best in the future.”
Tennessee Titans
Callahan was 4-19 overall when he was fired six games into his second season with the Titans. The team went 2-9 under interim coach Mike McCoy. Cam Ward, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 draft, started all 17 games at quarterback.
“We are grateful for Brian’s investment in the Titans and Tennessee community during his tenure as head coach. We thank him and his family for being exemplary ambassadors of the Tennessee Titans,” president of football operations Chad Brinker said in an Oct. 13 statement.
“While we are committed to a patient and strategic plan to build a sustainable, winning football program, we have not demonstrated sufficient growth. Our players, fans, and community deserve a football team that achieves a standard we are not currently meeting, and we are committed to making the hard decisions necessary to reach and maintain that standard.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
