> At a Glance
> – The Browns fired Kevin Stefanski after a 5-12 season, opening 2026’s Black Monday
> – The Falcons also dumped Raheem Morris and GM Terry Fontenot hours after Week 18
> – Brian Callahan (Titans) and Brian Daboll (Giants) were axed mid-season
> – Why it matters: Coaching turnover shapes draft strategy, free-agency plans, and fan hopes for next year
Black Monday-pro football’s annual purge-returned on Jan. 5, 2026, and the coaching carousel spun before the playoff bracket was even set.
What Black Monday Means
Coined in 1998 after simultaneous press headlines, the first post-season Monday now signals mass exits for under-performing staffs. With 18 non-playoff teams idle, owners often act in unison, triggering sweeping front-office firings.
- Day after regular season ends
- Traditionally busiest firing day
- Week 18’s 2020 addition pushed timeline back slightly
2026 Coaching Casualties
Hours after Atlanta closed on a four-game win streak, owner Arthur Blank cut Raheem Morris and GM Terry Fontenot. Cleveland followed, dismissing Kevin Stefanski following a 5-12 slide.
Two coaches didn’t last until January:
- Brian Callahan – Tennessee let him go after a 1-5 start; he finished 3-14 in 2024, landing the Titans Cam Ward at No. 1
- Brian Daboll – New York axed him at 2-8; he exits with a 20-40-1 Giants record since 2022
Recent Black Monday Totals
| Season | Coaches Fired on Black Monday | Mid-Season Firings |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1 (Doug Pederson) | 3 |
| 2024 | 2 (Arthur Smith, Ron Rivera) | 3 |
| 2023 | 1 (Kliff Kingsbury) | 3 |
| 2022 | 3 (Matt Nagy, Mike Zimmer, Brian Flores) | 2 |
| 2021 | 2 (Anthony Lynn, Doug Marrone) | 3 |
Key Takeaways
- Only one head coach was formally fired on 2025’s Black Monday
- Atlanta and Cleveland moved fastest this cycle
- Mid-season firings have become common-nine in the past four years
- Front-office executives increasingly vulnerable alongside coaches
As playoff hopefuls prepare, ousted staffs now wait for the next hiring wave that follows the Super Bowl.
