The NFL doesn’t waste time. The minute the regular season ends, the league turns into a business meeting, and for a handful of teams that meeting starts with one brutal sentence, “We’re going in a different direction.” This year’s NFL Black Monday (Monday, January 5, 2026) brought the expected bloodletting featuring the Cleveland Browns, Las Vegas Raiders, Arizona Cardinals, and Atlanta Falcons.
Tuesday, January 6, added the kind of move that shakes the entire coaching market. Jim Harbaugh, Head Coach of the Baltimore Ravens for 18 seasons, fired and relieved of his duties.
By the end of Tuesday night, five head coaches were out, and the carousel officially became the story of the week.
Below is a full breakdown of every head coach fired on Black Monday and Tuesday, what led to each decision, and what each job looks like moving forward.
Every head coach fired on NFL Black Monday and Tuesday
Black Monday (Monday, January 5, 2026):
- Kevin Stefanski, Cleveland Browns
- Pete Carroll, Las Vegas Raiders
- Jonathan Gannon, Arizona Cardinals
- Raheem Morris, Atlanta Falcons
Tuesday (January 6, 2026):
- John Harbaugh, Baltimore Ravens
Now let’s get into what each NFL Black Monday firing actually means.
Cleveland Browns fire Kevin Stefanski: a reset after the quarterback chaos
Kevin Stefanski is one of the weirdest “you’re fired” stories in years because the resume includes real wins. He took the Browns to the playoffs twice and won AP Coach of the Year twice. But Cleveland is the kind of place where the margins get thin fast when the most important position stays unstable.
According to the AP’s roundup of coaching openings, Stefanski’s 2025 season ended 5–12 and his overall record in Cleveland was 46–58 over six seasons. The Browns never solved the franchise quarterback problem, cycling through 13 starters during his tenure, including seven over the last two seasons.
What this job looks like now:
Cleveland still has pieces, but the next coach is getting judged through one lens, “Fix the quarterback.” If the front office cannot align roster building, scheme identity, and QB development, the next coach will end up living the same story with a different nameplate.
Las Vegas Raiders fire Pete Carroll: one and done, and the No. 1 pick changes everything
Pete Carroll getting fired after one season is exactly why the Raiders are the Raiders. They took a big swing on a legendary culture guy, but the results were ugly enough that nobody had the patience to sell “progress.”
AP notes that the Raiders went 3–14 in Carroll’s only season, with a 10-game losing streak before a season-ending win over Kansas City.
The real headline: Las Vegas is sitting on the No. 1 overall draft pick, and that turns this opening into a power job.
If you’re a coach with options, this is the pitch: pick your quarterback, pick your staff, and build your program around a rookie-scale window. The downside is also obvious, the building has been unstable for years, so the coach is going to want real control and real alignment from ownership.
Arizona Cardinals fire Jonathan Gannon: the losing streak forced the decision
Arizona’s move was the most predictable of the week. When the season ends in a free fall, the building can’t pretend it’s close.
The AP breakdown says the Cardinals finished with three wins and the loss to the Rams was their ninth straight, and their 14th loss in 15 games. Gannon finished 15–36 over three seasons.
What this job looks like now:
This is a “prove you can build a real identity” job. The next head coach has to stabilize the week-to-week performance first, then worry about playoff ceilings later. If you can’t stop the bleeding, you never get to the fun part. Another unfortunate victim in NFL Black Monday 2026.
Atlanta Falcons fire Raheem Morris: late wins couldn’t change the evaluation
Atlanta’s case is simple: finishing strong is nice, but it doesn’t erase the full season, and it definitely doesn’t erase two years of being stuck in the middle.
AP notes the Falcons were 8–9 in back-to-back seasons under Morris. They ended this season with four straight wins, but only after they had already been eliminated from playoff contention.
What this job looks like now:
Atlanta is the kind of opening that can look better from the outside than it feels on the inside. If the roster is “almost,” the coach needs clarity at quarterback and a plan that survives one bad month. The upside is the division can be volatile year to year, so a strong hire can flip the standings quickly.
Baltimore Ravens fire John Harbaugh: Tuesday’s bombshell that reshapes the whole market
This is the NFL Black Monday and Tuesday move that hit different.
John Harbaugh wasn’t just another name on a list, he was an institution. Eighteen seasons, a Super Bowl title, and a reputation as one of the league’s most respected leaders. Then, after an 8–9 season and a playoff miss, Baltimore moved on.
Reuters reports Harbaugh leaves with a 180–113 regular season record and a 13–11 playoff record, plus a Super Bowl win in the 2012 season (played in early 2013).
When a coach like Harbaugh is available, every team with an opening has to ask the same question: are we hiring the best candidate, or are we hiring the best candidate left after Harbaugh chooses? That one decision changes everyone’s timeline.
And it also changes how aggressive teams get in interviews. If you think Harbaugh might be interested, you move fast. If you think you can’t land him, you better have a clear Plan B before the market dries up.
The quick trend read: what teams are really saying with these firings
Across all five NFL Black Monday moves, you can feel the league’s current coaching logic:
Mediocrity gets you fired faster than disaster. Teams can explain a collapse. What they hate is being stuck.
Quarterback alignment matters more than ever. Coaches are judged on QB development even when the roster is flawed.
Ownership wants “new energy” cycles. Fair or not, teams believe a new voice can reset culture instantly.
The hiring market is now a competition. A high-profile coach entering the pool forces other teams to act faster and pay more, in control, staff budgets, and patience.
NFL Black Monday 2026 FAQ
What is “Black Monday” in the NFL?
Black Monday is the informal name for the day after the NFL regular season ends, when many teams fire coaches and sometimes front office executives.
Which NFL head coaches were fired on Black Monday 2026?
Kevin Stefanski (Browns), Pete Carroll (Raiders), Jonathan Gannon (Cardinals), and Raheem Morris (Falcons).
Which NFL head coach was fired on Tuesday after Black Monday?
The Baltimore Ravens fired John Harbaugh on Tuesday night, January 6, 2026.
How many coaching openings are there right now?
As of Tuesday night, the AP reported seven NFL coaching openings total, because two coaches (Giants and Titans) were fired during the season, in addition to the Black Monday and Tuesday changes.
Black Monday is always ruthless, but this year’s Tuesday move is what makes the whole thing feel bigger.
When a coach with Harbaugh’s resume hits the market, it turns the coaching carousel into a chess match.
Every team thinks it’s one hire away. The smart ones know it’s not just about the name, it’s about alignment: quarterback plan, staff plan, and a front office that won’t panic at the first rough patch.
