NFL Week 18 overreaction
USAT’s Prince Grimes will shatter his plans for the NFL playoffs after the regular season.
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It’s a scary day on the NFL calendar.
“Black Monday” usually heralds major disruption across the league, and teams often take quick action to revamp their coaching staffs and front offices as the season ends. Typically, around six to seven head coaching positions are created each year, but several recent offseasons have seen an even bigger overhaul. Three teams have already made the move, and more action is sure to follow. And despite some reports indicating that many coaches are clearly not on thin ice, this stage has a way of causing some surprises almost every year.
USA TODAY Sports will have all the latest updates throughout Monday, so be sure to check back for all the latest information.
The Tennessee Titans are currently in a major coaching search, taking the first steps toward identifying Brian Callahan’s full-time replacement.
According to multiple reports, the Titans have requested an interview with Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy.
The move is not surprising given Nagy’s relationship with Titans general manager Mike Borgonzi, who rose through the ranks with the Chiefs from 2009-24 and took the top job at Tennessee last year.
Nagy is seeking a second chance as an NFL head coach after compiling a 34-31 record in four seasons with the Chicago Bears.
The first split of Black Monday is here.
Kevin Stefanski has been released by the Cleveland Browns, the team announced.
“We greatly appreciate Kevin’s leadership of the Cleveland Browns over the past six seasons,” Browns owners Dee and Jimmy Haslam said in a statement. “He is an excellent football coach and an even better human being. While we appreciate his hard work and dedication to our organization, our performance over the past two seasons has been less than satisfactory and we believe a change in the head coaching position is necessary. We wish Kevin, Michelle, and the Stefanski family the best of luck in the future.”
Andrew Berry will remain as general manager and oversee the search for the next head coach.
By the time of the Browns’ final game of the season against the Cincinnati Bengals, speculation was mounting that the two-time NFL Coach of the Year would not return in 2026. Stefanski has a career record of 45-56, but led Cleveland to the postseason twice.
“After six seasons as the head coach of the Cleveland Browns, it is with great gratitude that I step down,” Stefanski said in a statement. “When I arrived in January 2020, this organization, this community, and the Browns fans welcomed me and my family with open arms. Words cannot adequately express how well we have been treated. A heartfelt ‘thank you’ to everyone I have had the pleasure of working with over the past six seasons.”
Stefanski could be one of the most attractive candidates on the open market for other teams with vacant positions.
The Atlanta Falcons continue their shake-up just one day after waiving Raheem Morris and Terry Fontenot.
The Falcons announced Monday that Rich McKay will step down as the team’s CEO. Team president Greg Beadles plans to add that role to his title.
In addition, owner Arthur Blank confirmed that the organization will “bring in a new football president from outside the organization.” Former Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan has been widely reported as a leading candidate for the role.
“We intend to move quickly on this hire so that the new president of football can be fully involved in the selection of new leadership in the head coach and general manager roles,” Blank said in a statement.
The crushing loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers not only put an end to the Baltimore Ravens, but also opened the door to questions about coach John Harbaugh’s future with the franchise.
But Harbaugh was clear about his hopes after the game.
“Yeah, I love them,” Harbaugh said when asked if he wanted to come back next year.
Two-time NFL MVP Lamar Jackson couldn’t handle questions about his future immediately after the loss.
“You’re asking about next year,” Jackson said. “My mind is so preoccupied with what happened tonight that I can’t focus on it right now. I just said it. I’m stunned right now. I’m still trying to process what’s going on.”
In the Cleveland Browns’ final game, Myles Garrett etched his name in NFL history as the single-season sack leader, while the sluggish offense found a way to upset the Cincinnati Bengals, winning 20-18.
This game could be the end of the Kevin Stefanski era.
The two-time NFL Coach of the Year is not expected to remain in the NFL, according to multiple reports.
After the game, Stefanski dismissed questions about his future.
This may not be a huge deal, but Pete Carroll’s tenure with the Las Vegas Raiders may at least end with a win.
The Raiders, who acquired the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft before Sunday’s game, closed out the season with a 14-12 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs. But that most likely won’t change the oldest coach in NFL history and his job security.
Carroll is widely expected to be a one-shot in Las Vegas, according to multiple reports.
Carroll said after the game that he “obviously” wants to return and is not considering retirement.
“Nobody talks to me about it,” he said. “I haven’t said anything about that.”
The Arizona Cardinals tied for the NFL’s worst record with 3 wins and 14 losses, and had the worst goal differential of any NFC team (-133).
Nevertheless, coach Jonathan Gannon appears to be planning to return for his fourth season with the franchise.
After a 37-20 loss to the Los Angeles Rams to end the season at 3-14, the Cardinals released Monday’s media schedule on Sunday, with Gannon listed as a speaker. That suggests he is expected to remain with the organization.
The Cardinals have had a lot of trouble this season, with a number of injuries throughout the season. The team ended the year with 24 players on injured reserve.
The Indianapolis Colts didn’t offer much room for lingering speculation.
Shortly after the season ended with a 38-30 loss to the Houston Texans, the Colts announced that coach Shane Steichen and general manager Chris Ballard would return in 2026.
Indianapolis became the first team in 30 years to miss the playoffs while starting 8-2, as the team dropped its final seven games. After Daniel Jones suffered a torn Achilles tendon in Week 14, the Colts signed 44-year-old quarterback Philip Rivers, who had been retired for five years, in a last-ditch attempt to revive their postseason hopes. However, the Colts will miss the playoffs for the fifth straight year.
Indianapolis is currently heading into a tough offseason with at least some stability. The Colts must decide on the future of Jones, who is set to become a free agent, while also strengthening a roster that will be without a first-round draft pick for the next two years after a midseason trade to acquire cornerback Source Gardner.
Ahead of what is typically a busy day of activity, USA TODAY Sports’ Nate Davis offered four predictions for Black Monday.
It won’t be clear until later, at least one of them will be on a playoff team that embraces these changes. But Davis is among the group hoping for a quieter Monday than in years past.
