9 NFL head coach candidates (Ben Johnson!) who might run their own teams in 2025

It’s morbid and cynical when talking about people’s livelihoods, but the fact remains the same.

At this point, Black Monday — the day after the NFL regular season ends and the unofficial deadline for most underperforming NFL head coaches to get fired — is basically a leaguewide tradition. It’s a “holiday” in itself where organizations rid themselves of perceived dead weight while fanbases rejoice at trying again with a new possibility for their favorite team. It’s a BIG deal.

As is often the case, this year’s crop of potential head coaching talent should be enough to inspire genuine excitement. In Michigan, there’s a genius offensive play-caller at work. Somewhere in Nashville, I’m sure a guy like Mike Vrabel is just licking his chops at a golden opportunity to coach after turning a glorified Madden franchise into something respectable. There’s an NFL coaching legend who will just not let this profession go despite accomplishing everything and then some. And I’d be remiss if I didn’t highlight some younger precocious coaches who have started to distinguish themselves in a manner that says they’re ready to lead 53 multimillionaires to success.

Let’s take a look at the premier coaching candidates during the NFL’s 2025 hiring cycle and break down some of their pros and cons.