Monday morning’s news of Brian Daboll being fired by the Giants goes to show just how fragile a head coaching job in the NFL can be. Even after leading New York to a postseason berth in 2022, winning the league's Coach of the Year Award, and spearheading the drafting of promising rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart this past May, the 50-year-old was let go after a 2–8 start to the '25 season.
Now don't get me wrong, Daboll’s tenure with the Giants was far from perfect. The team endured a 10-game losing streak in the middle of the ‘24 season, saw former first-round pick Daniel Jones’s development stall (which saw the quarterback be released mid-season) and so far in ‘25, New York has blown four double-digit leads—including three in the fourth quarter.
Needless to say, it's hard to have success at the helm in the NFL—which is why it's important to highlight all the good that’s happened in the coaching ranks to begin the ‘25 season.
A handful of franchises have seen their coaches either guide their teams through a complete 180°, stay the course on an already successful track, or oversee the development of young quarterbacks—the most important position in football—through the first 10 weeks of the season. Here’s a ranked look at five of them who should be in consideration for the NFL’s Coach of the Year Award.
Ben Johnson and Caleb Williams
Ben Johnson has overseen the development of quarterback Caleb Williams in Year 2. / David Banks-Imagn Images
While he didn’t quite crack the top five, it’s no secret that Ben Johnson has been a paramount piece to the Bears’ turnaround in 2025.
Chicago is 6–3 through nine games, has won five of their last six, and quarterback Caleb Williams has turned in a more than respectable second NFL season to the tune of 13 passing touchdowns and just four interceptions.
Johnson, the play-calling guru that he is, has the Bears’ gaining the third-most yards per game (379.8), scoring the seventh most points per game (26.6), and in prime position to make the postseason for the first time since 2020.
Sean McVay.
Sean McVay and the Rams hold the NFC's top wild-card spot through 10 weeks. / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
Sean McVay once again has his Rams rolling in 2025, notching a 7–2 record through 10 weeks and sitting in the catbird seat of the NFC’s wild-card race.
What’s arguably been the most astonishing part of McVay's ninth season in L.A. is the play he’s been able to squeeze out of quarterback Matthew Stafford. The 37-year-old leads the NFL in touchdown passes with 25, is fourth in both passing yards (2,427) and passer rating (114.8), and is doing so all while throwing just two interceptions on the year.
Could the duo win their second Super Bowl since joining up in 2021? It’s starting to look more and more possible.
Sean Payton and Bo Nix
Sean Payton has been instrumental in second-year QB Bo Nix's development. / Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images
After grinding out an ugly, 10–7 win over the Raiders last Thursday night, Sean Payton's Broncos have now won seven in a row and sit atop the AFC West at 8–2 through the first 10 weeks of the NFL season.
Said victory came with quarterback Bo Nix—whose development has been overseen by Payton since he was selected 12th in last year's draft—having his worst game of the season so far, throwing for just 150 yards, completing just 57.1% of his passes, and throwing two interceptions.
And that’s exactly why Payton deserves even more love.
Even with his most important player throwing up a relative dud, Payton was able to get his Denver team across the finish line in Week 10. The Broncos are tied for the NFL's longest active win streak, have now won six one-score games, and with a win over the 5–5 Chiefs next Sunday, would continue to cement themselves as one of the AFC's best.
Mike Macdonald
Mike Macdonald and the Seahawks are currently in first place in the NFC. / Steven Bisig-Imagn Images
Mike Macdonald’s Seahawks won their fourth straight game on Sunday afternoon with a 44–22 thrashing of the Cardinals, and currently hold the top spot in the NFC West.
A defensive coach, Macdonald has Seattle’s unit firing on all cylinders. Through nine games, the Seahawks defense is tied for second in sacks (32), tied for fifth in interceptions (9), and is allowing the fifth fewest points per game at 19.1.
Additionally, on offense, Seattle is among those with a quarterback going through a career resurgence in Sam Darnold. Currently first in the NFL in QBR (77.7), third in passer rating (116.5), and fourth in completion percentage (71.1%), Darnold is proving the Seahawks right for offering him and $100 million contract this offseason, and also helping his coach maintain a balanced unit amid a second consecutive winning season in Seattle.
Mike Vrabel
Mike Vrabel and the Patriots won their seventh game in a row on Sunday in Tampa. / Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
Mike Vrabel has been nothing shy of a Godsend for the Patriots.
After enduring a 4–13 2024 under Bill Belichick successor Jerod Mayo, New England swung for the fences this past offseason—and knocked it out of the park—with the hire of another one of their former linebackers in Vrabel.
Through 10 weeks, the Patriots are 8–2, riding a seven-game win streak, and have already doubled their win total from each of the last two seasons. The defense—Vrabel’s bread and butter—has been stout, allowing the fewest rushing yards per game (79.2) and the sixth fewest points per game (19.2). Meanwhile, the offense flourished behind second-year quarterback Drake Maye, currently one of the NFL’s MVP favorites, and coordinator Josh McDaniels.
Vrabel continues to push the right buttons in Foxborough, and has fans believing Dynasty 2.0 could be afoot.
Daniel Jones and Shane Steichen
Shane Steichen has the Colts at 8-2 and atop the AFC. / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
The top spot on the list has to go to Shane Steichen, whose Colts shockingly hold onto the AFC's No. 1 seed through the first 10 weeks of the season.
Steichen has been crucial in the redevelopment Daniel Jones, another scrapheap quarterback, while helping lead the Indianapolis offense to a league-leading 32.1 points and 396.9 yards per game.
Defensively, Indy still has room to improve (the addition of Sauce Gardner should help), but overall, the Colts' 2025 turnaround has been arguably the league's most impressive, and Steichen deserves the credit—and perhaps an award at season’s end—for leading the charge.
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