16 weeks of NFL action are in the books, which means NFL head coaches around the league are on the hot seat. The annual hiring and firing process began with Jay Gruden back in Week 4 but is only going to pick up following Week 17’s slate of games. Let’s take a look ahead at which coaches might be looking for work in the coming weeks. Note that interim head coaches have been excluded from this list for obvious reasons.
NFL Head Coaches on the Hot Seat
As Good As Gone
Jason Garrett, Dallas Cowboys
The Jason Garrett Era in Dallas should’ve ended a couple of years ago. Jerry Jones is loyal to a fault, but it looks like he’s finally going to pull the trigger and move in another direction. Despite Dak Prescott playing at a high level for the majority of the season, the Cowboys currently sit at 7-8 even with the advantage of playing in the worst division in football. Garrett’s had some great talent come through Dallas over his tenure as head coach but never made it beyond the NFC Divisional Round. Maybe he can be a better coach with a change of scenery, but the Cowboys desperately need a new voice running the show.
Freddie Kitchens, Cleveland Browns
There may be no bigger disappointment in football than the 2019 Cleveland Browns. Baker Mayfield closed out the 2018 season looking like one of the best young quarterbacks in football, and Odell Beckham was supposed to take this offense to the next level. Instead, everyone on the roster regressed and everything looks out of sync. Whether it’s the lack of discipline, questionable playcalling, or overall feel of incompetence, it’s hard to imagine Freddie Kitchens getting another year to set things right. That said, Cleveland gave Hue Jackson over two years, so anything’s possible.
Doug Marrone, Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars have come a long way since narrowly missing a Super Bowl appearance in 2017. Since then, the Jaguars have won just 10 games, lost Jalen Ramsey, and invested countless dollars in Blake Bortles and Nick Foles. Not all of this blame falls on Marrone, but it’s fair to say he hasn’t done a good job of maximizing the talent on the roster. With Tom Couglin already gone, the Jaguars are probably going to embrace the rebuild and start from scratch in 2020.
Pat Shurmur, New York Giants
This one speaks for itself. Pat Shurmur has not done anything well ever since he took over for Ben McAdoo two seasons ago. During his time at the helm, Shurmur has led the Giants to just nine wins and hasn’t turned the defense or offense into anything special. If he does keep his job, it’ll be thanks to Daniel Jones. The jury is still out on whether or not Jones can be a franchise quarterback, but he’s flashed some intriguing potential during his time on the field. If the Giants organization feels Shurmer can bring out the best in Jones, he just might stick around. However, that feels unlikely, as organizations are more comfortable with breaking up the coach-quarterback dynamic now than ever before.
Might Stay, Might Go
Dan Quinn, Atlanta Falcons
A few weeks ago, Dan Quinn looked like he was destined for the unemployment line. However, the Falcons have shown some life in recent weeks which could earn Quinn another year at the helm. Atlanta is 5-2 ever since the bye week, including impressive victories over the New Orleans Saints and the San Francisco 49ers. The team is clearly playing for Quinn’s job, but it’s a little concerning that the defense dramatically improved once the defensive-minded Quinn gave up playcalling duties.
Anthony Lynn, Los Angeles Chargers
The Chargers were supposed to be one of the AFC’s top competitors but currently sit at the bottom of the AFC West with an uninspiring 5-10 record. Heads typically roll when a season goes this bad, but there are issues far bigger than Anthony Lynn on the roster. Age appears to have caught up with Philip Rivers, and the Chargers have been criminally unlucky in bad games. There are better coaches out there than Anthony Lynn, but there are also a lot worse.
Zac Taylor, Cincinnati Bengals
Firing Zac Taylor after one season would be a bad move, but the Cincinnati Bengals aren’t exactly known for doing the smart thing. Make no mistake about it, the Bengals are a terrible team. At 1-14, they’ve already locked up the first overall pick and are easily the worst team in the league. However, there is no talent on this roster, and Bill Belichick would struggle to win five games with this underwhelming cast. Taylor deserves at least one more year to show what he can do with better talent.
Matt Nagy, Chicago Bears
Matt Nagy deserves better than to be on this list. The reigning Coach of the Year is no Andy Reid, but he’s still one of the better offensive minds in football. However, it’s impossible to get good results on offense when you have arguably the worst quarterback in the league. Mitchell Trubisky is singlehandedly ruining Chicago’s chance at contention and nobody could scheme a top offense around this version of Trubisky. Instead of getting rid of Nagy, the Bears should move on from Trubisky, sign a stopgap quarterback like Marcus Mariota, and move forward with him while looking for the next franchise quarterback.
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