Ranking all 32 NFL coaches from 2025 based on their leaked out grade in the NFLPA report cards
Four of the six least popular coaches got fired
The NFLPA report cards are out, and although the NFL doesn't want you to see them, they are now available after being leaked to ESPN this week.
The grades on the report cards are based on a survey that's handed out to players each year. For the most recent season, the NFLPA had 1,759 players rate their team in 17 different categories. One of the most interesting parts of this survey is that it allows each player to anonymously rate their head coach, so you can get an idea of how well a coach relates to his players.
With that in mind, we're going to take a look at how each coach graded out. Remember, these grades are based on the 2025 season, so there are several coaches on this list who ended up getting fired. The highest grade handed out was an A+, which went to two different coaches. On the other hand, the lowest grade handed out was a C-, which went to one coach and not surprisingly, that coach was eventually fired.
Here are the grades for each coach:
Grade: A+
Coaches: Rams coach Sean McVay, Commanders coach Dan Quinn
Notes: Last year, there were a total of six coaches who earned an A+, but this year, that number has been chopped down to two and Quinn is the ONLY coach in the NFL to earn an A+ in both years. Despite the Commanders' struggles in 2025, he clearly never lost the locker room.
Grade: A
Coaches: Bears coach Ben Johnson, Lions coach Dan Campbell, Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell, Eagles coach Nick Sirianni, Seahawks Mike Macdonald, Chiefs coach Andy Reid, Patriots coach Mike Vrabel, Jets coach Aaron Glenn, Steelers coach Mike Tomlin
Notes: Both Super Bowl coaches landed in this category, which tells you how important it is to have a head coach who can relate to his players. It's also worth noting that eight of the nine coaches in this group have been to the playoffs at least once in the past two seasons and five of the nine have been to at least a conference title game. Mike Tomlin might want to save this grade because it shows that he went out on top. Tomlin was widely viewed as the ultimate player's coach and he was clearly still well-liked after 19 years on the job. The biggest surprise name here is probably Aaron Glenn. Despite a 3-14 record, the Jets first-year coach still graded out highly, which could bode well for his second-year on the job.
Grade: A-
Coaches: Panthers coach Dave Canales, Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer, Texans coach DeMeco Ryans, Saints coach Kellen Moore, 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan, Bills coach Sean McDermott, Bengals coach Zac Taylor, Colts coach Shane Steichen, Jaguars coach Liam Coen
Notes: Sean McDermott was a popular guy in Buffalo when he got fired, but he still lost his job. and that's because Bills owner Terry Pegula didn't feel like McDermott could take the team to the "next level." Joe Brady will be replacing McDermott and if you're wondering how the players feel about him, he also was given an A- (Offensive coordinators were also graded out, which is why we know how Brady did). One name that might surprise some people here is Zac Taylor. The Bengals locker room clearly still approves of the job he's doing and that could be something that leads to a rebound in 2026.
Grade: B+
Coaches: Cardinals coach Jonathan Gannon, Falcons coach Raheem Morris
Notes: Apparently, this is the grade that no coach should want. Both Morris and Gannon were fired following the 2025 season.
Grade: B
Coaches: Ravens coach John Harbaugh, Broncos coach Sean Payton, Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel, Buccaneers coach Todd Bowles
Notes: This is an interesting group, because you have two coaches who were fired (McDaniel, Harbaugh), one coach who led his team to a conference title game (Payton) and one coach who has won his division in three of the past four years (Bowles). The most surprising name here though, is probably Payton. After turning the Broncos around, you'd think that Payton would have a hire approval rate with the players in Denver, but apparently, that's not the case.
Worst grades
We're going to lump the final six coaches together since they landed the worst grades.
B-: Packers coach Matt LaFleur, Titans coach Brian Callahan/Mike McCoy
C+: Raiders coach Pete Carroll, Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh
C: Giants coach Brian Daboll/Mike Kafka
C-: Browns coach Kevin Stefanski
Out of the coaches who landed in this group, four of the six got fired.
That means two of them didn't get fired. The first one is Matt LaFleur, who's future in Green Bay was up in the air before he eventually signed an extension in late January. It would be interesting to know how his team feels about the extension considering his grade was so low.
The biggest surprise in this group is probably Jim Harbaugh. On one hand, he's an old-school coach and it's possible his coaching philosophy doesn't translate well with younger players, which might explain his low grade. On the other hand, his coaching style works and he has the track record to prove it. In two seasons on the job, he's led the Chargers to two playoff appearances. Harbaugh earned a B+ last year during his first season on the job, but took a tumble this year.
The coaches that landed the two worst grades this year both got fired (Daboll, Stefanski). It will be interesting to see if Stefanski's grade goes up at all in Atlanta, because he'll be replacing a coach in Morris who earned an A+ last year and a B+ this year.
One interesting thing about the report cards is that they almost didn't come out this year. The NFL filed a grievance against the NFLPA over the report cards back in August and the league actually won. Due to victory, the ruling stated that the results of the report cards would no longer be made public, but they still leaked out anyway.
