After the Raiders fired Josh McDaniels a few weeks ago, the Carolina Panthers followed up with the firing of Frank Reich after falling to 1-10 on the year. It’s the second time Reich has been fired in his first year as a head coach, he was fired last year but the Indianapolis Colts.
With Reich’s departure, it’s time to gauge the temperature of other coaches around the league.
Your fate is sealed:
Brandon Staley, Los Angeles Chargers
After another loss on Sunday Night Football at home against the Baltimore Ravens, this franchise feels like it has reached it’s boiling point on Staley. Hired originally as a defensive guru from the Rams, the Chargers defense has been absolutely dreadful.
The offense continuously lets Justin Herbert down in defining moments of games. It’s become part of the game script at this point. Offensive Coordinator Kellen Moore has been in the head coach discussion for years, why not give him a spin before seasons end?
Ron Rivera, Washington Commanders
River Boat Ron is on the outs in Washington, but I think he commands too much respect to be fired mid season. Although, you do have Eric Bieniemy as your OC, who has been looking to be a head coach for a few years now. Perhaps new Washington owner Josh Harris gives Bieniemy a chance next season?
Dennis Allen, New Orleans Saints
One of the most unwatchable offenses in the NFL. The Saints settled for five (5) Blake Grupe field goals in a loss against the Atlanta Falcons. The NFC South is so bad, the Saints actually have a chance to win the division despite being 5-6, but that shouldn’t save Allen’s job. To be fair, Derek Carr has not provided the upgrade at QB most Saints fans and coaches probably thought he would, but a majority of the Saints struggles can be attributed to coaching.
Hot:
Matt Eberflus, Chicago Bears
The Bears are bad, but their defense has been playing good football; and since Eberflus is a defensive coach, it’s giving me some concern that he will be around next year. I think that is absolutely the wrong move. The Bears are in position to get the number one overall pick courtesy of the Carolina Panthers, and they’ll get another top 10 pick thanks to their record. I don’t think there is any scenario where Eberflus should stick around, even if they decide to stick with Fields at QB.
Todd Bowles, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The only thing saving Todd Bowles here is that he is in the second year of a five year contract. Let’s be honest with ourselves, Todd Bowles has never been a very good head coach, check his record. However, the Bucs are in purgatory right now, not good enough to be a contender and not bad enough to get a super high draft pick. What do you do with Baker Mayfield going forward? Mike Evans is probably gone too. A lot of question marks with the future of this team, so it’ll be up to ownership if they want to blow it up, or keep Bowles around and see what happens.
Sean McDermott, Buffalo Bills
A tell tale sign that a coach is on the hot seat is when they fire one of their coordinators. Firing OC Ken Dorsey was that move for McDermott. The Bills have undeniably underperformed this year, sitting at 6-6 after losing a heartbreaker in OT to the Eagles in Week 12. If they finish around .500 and miss the playoff, I can absolutely see them parting ways with McDermott. If you ask me, losing Brian Daboll is having a long lasting affect on this team.
Above Room Temperature:
Robert Saleh, New York Jets
Saleh and GM Joe Douglas are tied to the hip of Aaron Rodgers. He could come back next year, win a Super Bowl and retire, and I think Saleh and Douglas still get canned. When Rodgers is done, so are they. Until then, I think they’re sticking around.
Arthur Smith, Atlanta Falcons
The Falcons have some serious QB issues, but Arthur Smith’s inconsistency in his utilization of his offensive weapons is what causes concern. Once again the Falcons are mediocre, standing at 5-6 and in FIRST PLACE in the NFC South, but that doesn’t mean Smith should be comfortable. Again, huge QB issue down there, so his best chance of survival is to lean on the playmakers he has as much as possible AKA Kyle Pitts, Drake London, and Bijan Robinson.
Might Vacate Their Seat
Mike Vrabel, Tennessee Titans
This one is interesting to me. I think Vrabel is one of the best coaches in the NFL, but the Titans have completely messed up their “rebuild” or “retool,” whatever you want to label it. With Ryan Tannehill coming off the books, a young project in Will Levis, a declining Derrick Henry, and other mediocre draft picks, does Vrabel want to be a part of something like that? I could see a scenario where Vrabel steps down and goes to coach elsewhere to compete.
Bill Belichick, New England Patriots
A New England Patriots team without Bill doesn’t feel right, but it might be something that happens. Despite the report that he signed a new contract, the Patriots are in position to draft Caleb Williams or Drake Maye. Does Robert Kraft trust Bill to mold a QB with seemingly very high potential? I don’t think Kraft would ever fire him, but is he willing to go through all of that even with Bill’s track record of not developing talent on the offensive end?
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