ClutchPoints
The 2025 NFL season is already a quarter of the way done as the calendar turns over to October. These first four weeks of the season have validated some preseason predictions, but also proved others to be completely wrong. That’s part of what makes the NFL so fun.
Now is the perfect time to start looking ahead at who could contend for the league’s end of season awards.
The NFL’s Coach of the Year award is always one of the most interesting awards to speculate on throughout the season. Every winner has some combination of team success, a great story compared to last season, or a special X-factor that proves a coach is succeeding above the rest of the league. And it is never as simple as picking the best coach in the NFL, otherwise Bill Belichick would have several more of these awards.
So which coaches are standing out early in the season?
Below we will explore the contenders for the NFL’s Coach of the Year award after the first four weeks of the season.
Honorable mentions: Mike Vrabel, Ben Johnson, Kyle Shanahan, Sean McVay, Kevin O’Connell
It hasn’t always been pretty, but the Jaguars are still 3-1 at the quarter poll.
Realistically, Coach of the Year is part performance and part optics. That second part could create some challenges for Coen if the Jaguars continue on the path they’ve been on.
One of the biggest challenges for Coen’s case will be getting Brian Thomas Jr. and Travis Hunter more involved on offense. If those players continue to struggle, I think it will hurt Coen’s case in the minds of voters. Even if the wins keep piling up.
The Jaguars play Shane Steichen’s Colts twice during the month of December. That could play a huge role in who wins the AFC South. And if Coen comes out on top, could vault him higher on this list.
But there’s still a ton of football yet to be played. And the Jaguars certainly have their work cut out for themselves.
The Seahawks finally look like a Mike Macdonald team in 2025.
Seattle is 3-1 and looking frisky through the first four weeks of the season. Sam Darnold is playing well, and more importantly Seattle’s defense is better than ever.
The Seahawks are shutting down the run on defense and holding up okay against the pass. It is clear that Macdonald’s unique defensive scheme is finally coming together in the Pacific Northwest.
One problem is that the Seahawks are in a dog fight in the NFC West.
I believe they’ll need to come out on top of that division for Macdonald to have a real chance. Which could prove difficult with the 49ers looking great.
If Macdonald does not get a lot of pop this year, he could still be a real contender for Coach of the Year in 2026.
New coordinators, no problem....
