With one weekend of games left, the focus shifts not only to the playoffs but also to those who didn’t qualify. An offseason of change for some, either wholesale or otherwise, while others retool with minimal alterations and focus on 2026.
With that in mind, after conversations with numerous sources involved in and around these situations, we took a comprehensive look at the 16 teams that have been eliminated from playoff contention and where they are headed:
Signs are pointing toward another reset in Las Vegas, where Pete Carroll’s status is very much in doubt. It would be, at this point, a major surprise if Carroll returns for a second season.
Owner Mark Davis has the final call. He has not communicated any decision and often takes a day or two after the season before making changes. But after a monumentally disappointing season -- one in which the Raiders have fired two coordinators, lost 14 of their last 15 games and worn out the patience of team leader Maxx Crosby -- it’s hard to imagine Davis staying status quo. So while Carroll, 74, has been fighting for another year, the feeling within the league and within the building is Davis will go in another direction.
And that likely is the start of a full rebuild, the right way. Las Vegas has a long way to go roster-wise and appears to recognize what is in front of them.
Minority owner Tom Brady is close to general manager John Spytek, his onetime teammate at Michigan. If Carroll is let go, they are expected to play a key role in advising Davis on the next hire.
With a loss on Sunday to the Kansas City Chiefs, the Raiders would finish 2-15 and secure the No. 1 pick to target the franchise quarterback who will be the centerpiece of their rebuild.
Everyone in Cleveland has been frustrated with the results over the past two seasons. But owner Jimmy Haslam has planned to wait for the final results -- including Sunday’s game against Cincinnati -- before finalizing any decisions.
It’s rare for a two-time NFL Coach of the Year to have his job in question. But that’s the reality for Kevin Stefanski, who along with GM Andrew Berry helped restore order and respectability to Cleveland. Both received contract extensions after the team’s playoff appearance in 2023; the Browns are 7-26 since.
The question ownership must ask now is, have they given people they believe in -- namely a coach in Stefanski who would immediately become a candidate elsewhere -- the best opportunity to succeed?
A revolving door at quarterback, including the 2022 mega-trade and contract for Deshaun Watson that Haslam acknowledged last March was “a big swing-and-miss”, have been a driving force behind Cleveland’s struggles. This was always going to be a transition year. And there’s reason for hope, with one of the NFL’s best rookie classes, a QB in Shedeur Sanders who has progressed under the tutelage of Stefanski and offensive coordinator Tommy Rees, and two first-round picks in 2026. Last week’s win over the division rival Steelers was encouraging for a team that hasn’t given up.
The expectation is that Browns brass will regroup on Monday before deciding how to proceed.
Gutted by injuries on offense and playing most of the season without quarterback Kyler Murray, the Cardinals have lost 13 of their past 14 games in head coach Jonathan Gannon’s third year. Gannon, though, said this past week that he felt "good” about his job status.
While owner Michael Bidwill has made no public statement, and there are no guarantees until he does, the general sense has been that Gannon will get another year -- this time with a QB that he’s involved in selecting along with GM Monti Ossenfort.
Murray (and his contract) were left over from the prior regime. There’s still no easy exit -- Murray is due $36.8 million fully guaranteed in 2026, with another $19.5 million set to become fully guaranteed if he’s on the roster March 15 -- but a QB reset appears imminent in Arizona. The focus will likely be how, not if, Arizona moves on from Murray.
Some recent lopsided losses, of course, have not made standing pat any easier.
If Gannon stays, staff changes are possible, though it’s worth noting defensive coordinator Nick Rallis is still considered a rising star and offensive coordinator Drew Petzing has managed to keep his unit middle of the pack with a collection of second- and third-stringers playing with backup QB Jacoby Brissett.
Owner Arthur Blank’s message internally has been consistent: No decisions will be made until the end of the season.
And for as disappointing as the Falcons were even a month ago, they’ve found a spark down the stretch, playing hard for head coach Raheem Morris and winning three games in a row with formerly demoted veteran Kirk Cousins at quarterback.
The reason owners wait to see the entire product is to learn how a team responds to adversity. And with all eyes on them, Atlanta beat the Los Angeles Rams on national TV on Monday night. It gives Blank a lot to think about as he weighs the futures of Morris, who has three years left on his contract, and GM Terry Fontenot, who has one.
The Falcons have spoken with former NFL MVP Matt Ryan about taking on a role in their front office. However, the team has a thorough process for evaluating leadership, staff and players every year and no changes, or additions, will be put in motion until the season ends. The team has been keeping the focus on Sunday's game against the Saints and trying to finish strong.
The Colts went from a feel-good story and potential No. 1 overall seed when they started 7-1 to a six-game freefall that knocked them out of playoff contention, sparking questions about how new controlling owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon will approach her first full offseason.
Irsay-Gordon and those in charge in Indy have remained tight-lipped, not offering any indication into which direction they will go. And while there are no outward signs of major changes on the horizon, there’s also no track record to indicate how Irsay-Gordon might proceed.
Indianapolis had the NFL’s best record before quarterback Daniel Jones suffered a fractured fibula and played through it, and then tore his Achilles on Dec. 7. Before the injuries, he had been playing the style of football coach Shane Steichen had desired since he arrived in 2023.
Irsay-Gordon green-lit GM Chris Ballard’s decision to go all-in at November's trade deadline, dealing two first-round picks to the Jets for cornerback Sauce Gardner, who suffered a calf injury in his third game with the team. Fellow CB Charvarius Ward and star defensive tackle DeForest Buckner, among others, were lost for long stretches to injuries, as was former first-round QB Anthony Richardson. Bringing 44-year-old QB Philip Rivers out of retirement to start the past three games was little more than a Hail Mary.
Owners sometimes want their own people in power. Yet Irsay-Gordon’s extensive investment in understanding all aspects of the football operation certainly gives her a foundation for understanding what did, and didn’t, lead to the collapse. And she has worked closely for years with Ballard, who is finishing his ninth season as GM in Indy.
Chairman Stephen Ross has made no public statement on the future of head coach Mike McDaniel, who is under contract through 2028. But signs continue to point towards McDaniel returning for a fifth season, especially with the recent win over the Bucs and rookie quarterback Quinn Ewers showing promise. Since a 1-6 start, Miami is 6-3.
Miami will launch its GM search in earnest next week, with help from Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Troy Aikman, who is consulting for the team and is expected to sit in on interviews. The focus is on finding a candidate with a strong scouting background to complement the existing football operation and revamp the roster.
Assuming McDaniel returns, staff changes are possible. And there are other major organizational decisions ahead, including the fate of quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, who is considered unlikely to play again for Miami despite being due $54 million guaranteed in 2026.
After a frustrating 4-12 campaign, the Commanders are expected to retain the football leadership that helped them reach the NFC Championship game last January, including coach Dan Quinn and GM Adam Peters. But other changes could be coming.
Quinn took over defensive play-calling duties from Joe Whitt Jr. in November and it’s likely Washington will have a new DC. Although Whitt is a trusted confidante and has worked with Quinn for years, a new defensive voice would make sense, and Washington has done research to that effect.
Changes on offense also are possible, though it’s not yet clear how, or when, those could come about. Offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury is expected to get head coach interviews and could be headed elsewhere.
Bengals head coach Zac Taylor is not going anywhere. Since being eliminated from playoff contention, Cincinnati has blown out the Dolphins and Cardinals, reminding everyone how their offense can look like with Joe Burrow and his receivers healthy and available.
The question is what Cincinnati will do on the defensive side of the ball. Al Golden’s unit has been a source of frustration all season. Yet the Bengals' defense has slowly and steadily improved, hitting pause on any discussions of moving on. Taylor and the team’s brass will go through their decisions once the season ends.
Star wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase recently said: “I think some of the things are pretty obvious, what we need to change.” He declined to elaborate.
The Jets are bringing back Aaron Glenn for a second season as head coach. The question is, how significant will changes be to his staff?
Glenn already has fired his defensive coordinator Steve Wilks. Homework on replacements has already begun, with a search to follow as soon as the season ends.
Changes to the rest of the staff are certainly possible. Glenn has said on multiple occasions the past two weeks that he was going to evaluate his staff. Finding an answer at QB -- again -- will be a top offseason priority for the Jets, who have five first-round picks over the next two drafts.
While the Cowboys are out of the playoff chase at 7-8-1, there were enough bright moments in the season’s second half to earn coach Brian Schottenheimer a second season. But other staff changes could be coming.
Owner Jerry Jones has repeatedly expressed public disappointment with the defense, casting doubt on the future of his hand-picked coordinator, Matt Eberflus. The focus remains on beating the Giants on Sunday in their last regular-season game and meetings about the future will begin on Monday. Those involved insist no decision has been made, but some changes to the defense are at least likely.
Kevin O’Connell’s status, of course, remains on firm ground. In other years, he’d be a Coach of the Year candidate for somehow guiding this team to a 8-8 record with injuries hitting hard at quarterback and elsewhere.
The most pressing issue is defensive coordinator Brian Flores’ contract, which is set to expire after the season. The Vikings have been hopeful about working out a new deal, and when Flores last spoke to reporters this past Tuesday, he expressed his love for Minnesota.
“From a football standpoint, it fits,” said Flores, who is also expected to be a head coaching candidate. “And I think there’s always a, let’s call it, a business part of this. The football all lines up and we’ll just see where it all goes.”
Head coach Andy Reid confirmed this week what we previously reported: He’ll be back for 2026. But there are other questions surrounding next year’s Chiefs.
With offensive coordinator Matt Nagy’s contract up, several scenarios are in play -- including Nagy getting a head coaching job. He’ll be among the top candidates, a rare one this cycle with experience and a background on offense. If he doesn’t get a head job, leaving to take over as a primary play-caller elsewhere is also possible.
In either case, the Chiefs could welcome back former Reid assistants such as Mike Kafka or Eric Bieniemy, both of whom could inject some new ideas from their previous places of employment while retaining some familiarity. In addition, a substantial roster reboot is also afoot, with the team significantly over the cap and coming off a rare disappointing season.
A popular Super Bowl pick the past couple of seasons, the Lions will be home watching from their couch this year, as injuries and a new coaching staff contributed to a worse-than-expected result.
Head coach Dan Campbell will evaluate changes as he moves into offseason mode. But the focus figures to be -- again -- on finding a new offensive coordinator. Campbell took over play-calling duties during the season from good friend John Morton, who said this week, “I’d like to be here,” which could mean staying in a diminished role. But after losing Ben Johnson to a head coaching job last year, Campbell appears set to search for a new OC again.
First-year head coach Kellen Moore had a predictably rough start, taking over an aging roster starved for talent and beginning the season 1-8. Yet a QB change to talented second-round draft pick Tyler Shough and excellent coaching on both sides of the ball contributed to a 4-0 record over the last month.
Brandon Staley’s defense has shown major signs of becoming a dominant unit, and Shough’s presence helped the offense gel, especially with the game on the line. It’s all promising in New Orleans, as a transition year ends with high hopes for the future.
The Giants fired head coach Brian Daboll on Nov. 10, getting a head start of a search process that the team announced would be led by GM Joe Schoen.
Even with the Giants at 3-13, there is a lot to like about the job in New York: A potential franchise QB (Jaxson Dart), weapons around him (including Malik Nabers and Cam Skattebo), a left tackle (Andrew Thomas) and key pieces along the defensive front (including Brian Burns, Dexter Lawrence, Abdul Carter and Kayvon Thibodeaux), plus a high draft pick (currently No. 2) to further bolster the roster.
President and CEO John Mara, who announced in September he is undergoing cancer treatment, will be involved along with Schoen and others in a process that figures to be focused given the two months they’ve had to prepare.
Interim head coach Mike Kafka is expected to get an interview. Others potentially on the radar include ex-NFL head coaches Vance Joseph, Kliff Kingsbury, Mike McCarthy, Matt Nagy and Antonio Pierce; current assistants Lou Anarumo, Joe Brady, Matt Burke, Jesse Minter, Chris Shula and Davis Webb; and current head coaches that become available.
The Titans, who fired Brian Callahan in October, will begin their coaching search with organization changes, as outlined here.