> At a Glance
> – The Cleveland Browns fired Kevin Stefanski and the Las Vegas Raiders dismissed Pete Carroll on Black Monday 2026
> – Atlanta Falcons dumped both head coach Raheem Morris and GM Terry Fontenot hours after Week 18
> – Tennessee Titans and New York Giants had already cut coaches during the 2025 regular season
> – Why it matters: The annual purge resets the coaching carousel for 18 non-playoff teams and shapes next year’s contenders
Black Monday, the first workday after the NFL regular season, again claimed multiple head coaches and front-office bosses as teams jettison leadership following disappointing campaigns.
What Is Black Monday?
Coined in 1998 after headlines in the Associated Press, New York Post and Houston Chronicle, the term marks the league-wide house-cleaning that hits every January. With 18 clubs done until August, owners typically announce firings within hours of the finale.
2026 Coaching Casualties
Quick hits from Monday, Jan. 5:
- Cleveland ousted Kevin Stefanski after a 5-12 record
- Las Vegas ended Pete Carroll‘s one-year tenure at age 74
- Atlanta moved on from Raheem Morris and GM Terry Fontenot despite a four-game win streak to close the season
Two franchises didn’t even wait for the offseason:
- Tennessee dumped second-year coach Brian Callahan at 1-5; he finished 3-14 in 2024, landing the top pick (QB Cam Ward)
- New York Giants fired Brian Daboll at 2-8; he exited with a 20-40-1 mark since 2022
Recent Black Monday Totals
| Season | Coaches fired on Black Monday | Total offseason changes |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1 | 7 |
| 2024 | 5 | 8 |
| 2023 | 1 | 4 |
| 2022 | 3 | 7 |
| 2021 | 2 | 7 |
Other notable January moves:
- 2025: Doug Pederson (Jaguars) was the lone Black Monday firing; Jerod Mayo (Patriots) was let go about an hour after Week 18
- 2024: Arthur Smith (Falcons) and Ron Rivera (Commanders) went day-of, while Mike Vrabel (Titans), Pete Carroll (Seahawks) and Bill Belichick (Patriots) followed within three days
- 2023: Kliff Kingsbury (Cardinals) stood as the only head coach axed on Black Monday; Lovie Smith (Texans) was fired the previous evening
Why Teams Pull the Trigger
Owners view the post-Week 18 window as optimal for:
- Jump-starting a search while rival teams are still compiling lists
- Giving incoming coaches time to evaluate roster holes before free agency
- Maximizing media attention to placate frustrated fan bases
Beyond Football
While the NFL popularized the term, “Black Monday” has older, darker roots:
- 1929 & 1987: Stock-market crashes bore the same label
- 1209: Irish citizens massacred hundreds in Dublin on a Monday that became known as Black Monday centuries later
Key Takeaways
- Cleveland and Las Vegas became the first franchises hunting new coaches for 2026
- Atlanta paired a head-coach and GM change minutes after its finale victory
- Only one of seven 2025 coaching changes occurred on Black Monday, proving teams increasingly act early or wait
- The phrase “Black Monday” entered NFL lexicon in 1998 and remains the unofficial start of hiring season
With playoff spots settled, attention now shifts to interviews, rumors and reboots as clubs hope fresh leadership reverses their fortunes.
